Life cycle analysis of hydrogen production from aqueous phase reforming of glycerol

Abstract

In the realm of climate change mitigation, hydrogen emerges as a versatile and eco-friendly energy carrier, promising significant contributions to sectoral decarbonization. This study investigates glycerol as a feedstock for hydrogen production through aqueous-phase reforming (APR). Employing experimental data, an artificial neural network (ANN) model is developed to simulate the process, optimizing hydrogen yield under steady-state conditions. Material and energy balances enable a life cycle analysis (LCA) at a scale of 100 Nm3 H2/h, considering the synthesis subprocess of the catalyst. The LCA, using both midpoint and endpoint approaches, is compared with eight alternative hydrogen production methods. Despite variations in reporting, comparison revealed the studied process as advantageous in five of the 18 midpoint categories, particularly in marine ecotoxicity, water depletion, fossil depletion, agricultural land occupation, and metal depletion. These findings underscore the potential of glycerol APR as an environmentally sustainable option for hydrogen production.